Let me present to you a very uncommon and a royal breed - South african mastiff popularly known as Boerboel

I follow a breeder based in Goa who is breeding these for home owners, the breed is hardy and well suited to our environment. The only issue with this breeder is they insist the owners feed the dogs a raw meat diet.

I follow a breeder based in Goa who is breeding these for home owners, the breed is hardy and well suited to our environment. The only issue with this breeder is they insist the owners feed the dogs a raw meat diet.

Even I feed my Lab Raw meat regularly in supplement to basic rice meal. The advantages are many, some that I have observed are
. The dog eats less quantity, hence the propensity to over weight is less
. Raw meat means a lot of chewing and that ensures that teeth are clean and shining and surprisingly fresh breath.

With larger breeds, over eating especially during initial years is dangerous, as the body tends to grow fat while the leg muscles are still developing. This results in weak legs which may fail as the dog ages. I have seen many large breed dogs have legs so weak that they cannot support the dog by the time they are seven years or so.

You guys might know this, but posting for those who may benefit. My friend shared with me a facebook page OMD - 'Ohh My Dog' which is basically a pet sales & service team. Looks like they shot to fame after giving Salman Khan, his pets.

Now, what attracted me is that this page also serves as a platform for a lot of owners to put up ad for the adoption of their priceless possessions. This, of course, is free of cost and some owners are even paying for the life time expenses (food / vaccinations) for their pets so that the new owner doesn't have the burden of expenses. Please check this page if you guys ever plan to adopt a pet.

The advantages are many, some that I have observed are
. The dog eats less quantity, hence the propensity to over weight is less
. Raw meat means a lot of chewing and that ensures that teeth are clean and shining and surprisingly fresh breath.

I dont agree, a dog is a dog and they do not chew...period. Whatever it is they just use their teeth to break it down into smaller pieces or will swallow at will if the food is soft like meat is. If the food is hard like a biscuit or a bone the dog will not swallow it but chew it to smaller sized bites which they will swallow. A dog does not chew to make food soft or pasty, just to make it smaller to swallow. They do not chew therefore giving large chunks is dangerous as they might get choked. Best is to give raw meat (if you want to) in smaller pieces. for the teeth to remain clean and in use toss them a joint bone which has been throughout boiled. No raw bones at all and no bones which tend to splinter.
For fresh breath and clean teeth you get the chewy sticks which the dog has no choice but to chew leading to cleaning of his teeth in the process and end up in their breath smelling like someone had dropped a few peppermints into a box of fish.

Quote:

With larger breeds, over eating especially during initial years is dangerous, as the body tends to grow fat while the leg muscles are still developing. This results in weak legs which may fail as the dog ages. I have seen many large breed dogs have legs so weak that they cannot support the dog by the time they are seven years or so.

Over eating does not cause weak hind legs, loss of calcium does and most large boned dogs have this issue specially Alsations, Great Danes and the lot. The best is to give them intravenous injections if this is spotted. This usually starts from birth or at a very early young age and will lead to a very painful and irreversible problem for the dog where many times,sadly the dog would have to be put to sleep.

I dont agree, a dog is a dog and they do not chew...period. Whatever it is they just use their teeth to break it down into smaller pieces or will swallow at will if the food is soft like meat is. If the food is hard like a biscuit or a bone the dog will not swallow it but chew it to smaller sized bites which they will swallow. A dog does not chew to make food soft or pasty, just to make it smaller to swallow. They do not chew therefore giving large chunks is dangerous as they might get choked. Best is to give raw meat (if you want to) in smaller pieces. for the teeth to remain clean and in use toss them a joint bone which has been throughout boiled. No raw bones at all and no bones which tend to splinter. ... ... ....

Raises questions.

If a dog does not chew ("period," by which I take it you mean ever?) then why does it have back teeth? A dog's teeth follow the same meat-eating-mammal pattern that ours do, don't they?

(we have two reasons for chewing: to make stuff possible to swallow, and to begin digestion of starches by an enzyme in saliva. Don't know about dogs in this respect: they certainly have lots of saliva, but do they eat starches?)

I wonder how, from your description, dogs would survive tearing flesh off a freshly killed animal? Or gnawing its uncooked bones?

I do not know the answers: I am just throwing in what seems reasonable to me.

I dont agree, a dog is a dog and they do not chew...period. Whatever it is they just use their teeth to break it down into smaller pieces or will swallow at will if the food is soft like meat is. If the food is hard like a biscuit or a bone the dog will not swallow it but chew it to smaller sized bites which they will swallow. A dog does not chew to make food soft or pasty, just to make it smaller to swallow. They do not chew therefore giving large chunks is dangerous as they might get choked. Best is to give raw meat (if you want to) in smaller pieces. for the teeth to remain clean and in use toss them a joint bone which has been throughout boiled. No raw bones at all and no bones which tend to splinter.
For fresh breath and clean teeth you get the chewy sticks which the dog has no choice but to chew leading to cleaning of his teeth in the process and end up in their breath smelling like someone had dropped a few peppermints into a box of fish.

Over eating does not cause weak hind legs, loss of calcium does and most large boned dogs have this issue specially Alsations, Great Danes and the lot. The best is to give them intravenous injections if this is spotted. This usually starts from birth or at a very early young age and will lead to a very painful and irreversible problem for the dog where many times,sadly the dog would have to be put to sleep.

I feel that you should do a bit of reading to update your knowledge.

Contrary to popular belief, raw bones are soft and raw meat is tough. That is why we cook meat - to soften it up. To confirm this, take a piece of raw fish bone, say 2 inches long and try bending it. It will bend a lot. Now after cooking, the same bone becomes hard enough to use it as a needle. Cave men used cooked fish bones as arrow head!

1. Dogs chew, especially if the food is tough, and raw meat is tough. I have seen my Lab chew a big piece of raw meat for five minutes till it was reduced to a paste and then swallow it. It is only when you give the dogs soft food - rice, dog food etc, that they tend to gulp it down.

2. If you have had a dog, just examine the teeth. Most pets develop yellow teeth withing a couple of years if not earlier. Chewing helps abrade the surface of food residue. After eleven years my Lab's teeth are still white and sharp.

3. The reason why dogs develop hip dyspepsia (weak hips) is very simple. Legs of large dog breeds take between two and three years to develop their full strength. If you over feed the young dog, then the body grows faster and becomes heavier than desired. That results in an extra load for weak legs, which have not yet developed fully, so you are left with weak legs through out the life of the dog. The weak legs will lead to their collapse with age. This is similar to overweight person developing knee and hip problems which in an acute form require joint replacement, else they are rendered immobile.

We have owned many local breeds over the years. In fact had EIGHT of them at one point when I was a kid but this is the first time I have owned a Lab. Named him ToBo.
Brought him home at two months and its been nearly a month of turmoil in the house. Never before we had someone who has an appetite like him and its been hard to control his intake. I have recently started training him and only thing he grasped is to sit quietly when his food is being served and to seat when given command. Rest of the times he is too engrossed in searching what else to munch on rather than listen to me. Hey but we simply love him!

...Never before we had someone who has an appetite like him and its been hard to control his intake. I have recently started training him and only thing he grasped is to sit quietly when his food is being served and to seat when given command. Rest of the times he is too engrossed in searching what else to munch...

Yep - labs eat like crazy. Just that it needs to be controlled & trained well. Please ensure you get him some chew toy or else, he is going to eat all the chairs & tables & wood cots in the house.

We have owned many local breeds over the years. In fact had EIGHT of them at one point when I was a kid but this is the first time I have owned a Lab. Named him ToBo.
Brought him home at two months and its been nearly a month of turmoil in the house. Never before we had someone who has an appetite like him and its been hard to control his intake. I have recently started training him and only thing he grasped is to sit quietly when his food is being served and to seat when given command. Rest of the times he is too engrossed in searching what else to munch on rather than listen to me. Hey but we simply love him!Attachment 1554532

What a darling little pup!
Sweetie pie indeed!

Yes Labs are all like little Baby Bakasuras, they love their grub and keep walloping without any idea of a limit. It takes patience and training to stop 'em from walloping grub quite so much!
Please do give him lots of calcium and build up his bones. Also 2 capsules of SevenSeas a day to help his coat shine!

Labs require fat/oil with their food. The reason is that they secrete a waterproof oil coating, and if oil is missing from food, the coat becomes dull.

Normally we mix oil/fat with his rice while cooking. That is supplemented with fatty meat as and when we get it. At times we mix fat left from frying port sausages with rice.

If there is no other recourse then of course oil capsules are excellent substitute. Reminds me of my child hood when we were given either Cod Liver Oil or Shark Liver oil.

We cook home food for our pets for their lunch. Rice, Turmeric, chopped Carrots in large quantities. Then topped off with Pedigree Meat and Rice Kibbles or Chicken and Rice Kibbles OR Senior Dog Kibbles.
While serving the furry babies we add a large tablespoon of Virgin Coconut Oil in their food each and stir it in nicely.

Breakfast is usually a few slices of bread and milk - dinner is the same, bread and milk.

Along with this, they get a Multi Vitamin Tablet called Briskit, 2 - 3 capsules of Seven Seas in the morning and two tablets of Liv 52 as well.

All this keeps them spry and sprightly along with lots of love and affection and several walks a day. I take them personally early morning and evening and my long time attendant takes them out during the day when we are at work.

Baths are once a week, in warm water - I do this personally. Using the special Vet recommended Shampoo called Chloderma. Which keeps ticks and fleas etc at bay and smells quite nice. Once a month they get a special RIDD bath. RIDD is a strong external application solution which keeps ticks, fleas, other parasites and even mange at bay. But if one is using RIDD, please be careful with it because it is very strong. But extremely effective indeed.

The dogs are 12 years old (Lab) and 9 years going on 10 (Alsatian). Both females. Both spayed a long time back after their first litter or two.

Both happy and peaceful.

My intent is to do my best to prolong their time with us as much as possible and keep them happy and healthy as much as I can.

Thats why I spend almost all my "non working/ office/travelling/ golf time" with them at home - because they are with us only a short while and one must maximise the time with them. This is also why I hardly socialise other than on the golf course, because the time spent blundering around Bangalore in heavy traffic, is better avoided and spent with the pets at home!